Watch-stem



G. D. GREIG.

WATCH STEM.

APPLICATION HLED 1AN.3, 1919.

1,353,040, PatentedSept. 14, 1920.

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I /f 2z- 22 ily 22 23 f 24 d 45 l 1 Y George D. Brel@ vwenoz l l? GEORGE.. snare, 0E PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

'WATCH-STEM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 14, 1920.

Application led January 3, 1919. Serial No. 269,435.

T 0 all whom z'z may concern.' i

Be it known that I, GEORGE D. GREIG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Peoria, in the county of lPeoria and State of Illinois, have invented certain'new and useful Improvements in `lVatch-Stems', of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates to watch stems and an object of the invention is to provide a watch stem construction wherein the length of the stemV may be varied as necessary to perform its proper function.

Much trouble is caused by stems of watch cases being too short to perform their duties of winding a pendant setting watch. This is especially true in swing-ring dustproof cases where the sleeve is not threaded and becomes wornV and does not hold the stem far enough into the watch when the latter is pushed in to its full capacity to engage the winding mechanism. Often great difculty is experienced in tting new stems in an ordinary watch case, often causing serious difliculty in the proper operation of the watch, owing to the fact that the stem, when pushed in, is not long enough to disengage the setting mechanism and engage the winding mechanism, also continuous use of a watch causes a stem to wear to such an extent that it is often necessary to replace the stem, after continuous use, to cause it to properly perform its function.

It is an object of this invention to provide a winding stem str ucture which will overcome all of the above inconveniences, said stem being provided with a threaded bore in which is seated a threaded stem, carrying upon its outer end a head conforming in shape and size to the inner rectangular end of the watch stem, so that by adjustment of the head with respect to the inner end of the stem, the length of the stem may be adjusted as necessary.

Other objects of the invention will appear in the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, and in which drawing:

Figure 1 is a view'showing on an enlarged scale, a part of the mechanism for controlling the winding and setting of an ordinary American made watch.

Fig. 2 is a view partially in section illustrating the improved stem in place.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in side elevation of the inner end of the stem.

Fig. 4 is afragmentary longitudinal section through the inner en'd of the stem, and

Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

Referring more particularly to the draw.- ing, 1 indicates a watch of any approved make wherein the winding and setting of the same are controlled by movement of the stem 2. For instance, when it is desired to wind the watch, the stem 2 is forced inwardly and to set the watch, the stem is drawn outwardly. The watchV mechanism l comprises a pawl 3 which is pivotally mounted to one of the inclosingplates of the watch mechanism, and carries a gear 4 which meshes with the gear 5 which latter gear is rotated by rotation of the stem 2 in the usual manner, the said gear being provided with an axial sleeve 6 having a rectangular bore in which the lower rectangular end 7 of the stem 2 engages for rotating the gear 5 and consequently rotating the gear 4. The gear 4 meshes with pinions 8 and 9 which are also carried by the pivotally mounted pawl 3 and the pinion 8 is adapted to mesh with the winding gear 10 of the watch to wind the latter while the pinion 9 is adapted to mesh with the pinion 11 which in turn meshes with a pinion 12 on the hand carrying shaft 13 of the watch. The position of the pawl 3 is controlled by the spring controlled pawl 14 and this pawl carriesV a pin 15 which rides in a suitable slot formed in one of the inclosing cases of the mechanism of the watch and is engaged by a pivoted lever 16. One end of the lever 16 is engaged by the inner head end 17 of the lower or inner stem section 1,8, so that Y when the stem 2 is forced inwardly, the pawl 14 will be positioned as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, rocking the pawl 3 so that the pinion 8 will mesh with the winding gear 10 and when in this position rotate the stem 2, and through the medium of the usual type of crown 19 will wind the main spring of the watch. When the stem 2 is drawn outwardly, the pawl 14 will be rocked by means of its spring 20 to rock the pawl 3 so that the pinion 9 will mesh with the pinion 11 and rotation of the stem 2 will then set the hand of the watch. In order to provide the proper length of the stem, so that the difliculty of proper selection of a stem for the watch may be eliminated; the rectangular end 7 of the stem 2 is provided with an axial internally threaded bore 21 which receives therein the threaded stem or pin 22Y upon the inner end of Which is formeda rectangular head 23. The head 23 conforms in shape and size to the rectangular portion 7 of the stem 2, and fitting within the rectangular bore of the sleeve 6 is held against rotation with respect to therhead. The head 23 is provided with ways or recesses 24 Vadapted to receive the bit of a watch makers screw driverto permit adjustment of the position of theV head 23 with respect to the inner end of the rectangular portion 7 of the stem 2, thereby regulating the length of the stem 2 as necessary to enable the vstem to properly perform the functions abovejset out, such as imparting the properl amount of, throw to the lever 16 to properly operate the pawl 14 sufficient to rock the pawl 3 tomove eitherof the gears l8 or9 into mesh with their respective gear or pinion. Y *f Y Y Changes in details may be made without departing'from the spiritof this invention,

but; I

I claim: y

l. In a watch, the combination with a sleeve having a square bore, of a stemslidably mounted in the bore, and an adjustable head carried by the stem and shaped to conformv to theconfiguration of the bore of the sleeve.

2. In a watch, the combination with a sleeve having a square bore, of a stem slidably mounted in the bore, a head shaped to conform to the configurationof the bore and slidablymounted in said bore, and a shank carried by the head and threadably connected to thev stem.

3.- In a watch, the combination with a sleeve having a bore polygonal in crosssection, of a stem slidably mounted in the bore and having its inner end provided with an -inwardly extending threaded opening, a

head for said stem slidably mounted in the bore of the sleeve, and shaped to conform to the configuration thereof, and a threaded shank tted in said opening in the stem.

4. As an article of manufacture, a watch GEORGE nenni@ 

